Entering 2013, the Dodgers had quite the outfield logjam with three major league players under long-term contracts, as well as two prospects who looked like they could easily make an impact within the next year or two.

The name with the most buzz out of those five outfielders was Cuban import Yasiel Puig, who tore up Spring Training before being sent to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts for more seasoning and maturity. Fans wanted him, and they wanted him in the bigs now. But while lots hated the decision to send him down, it was probably the right call, as Puig had never played above High-A before heading to Tennessee. He only had 59 plate appearances with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and 95 plate appearances of minor-league ball total entering ’13.

Following injury after injury to the major league outfield, the club promoted Puig; he made his debut on June 3, and #ManBearPuig was born. Puig then hit his first career long ball the next night, ending that game with two homers and five driven in. He capped an amazing first week with his first career grand slam, a shot that practically left Vin Scully speechless.

But Puig’s season wasn’t all double plays and grand slams and mariposas (Cuba’s national flower … history degree!). There were rookie mistakes and growing pains, as with 99.9% of the rookies who play any sport professionally. Puig ran himself into some outs on the bases, missed the cutoff man every now and then, and went through some slumps at the dish as he learned the strike zone and plate discipline. But make no mistake about it: he did in fact grow and made progress as a player, despite what most in the mainstream media would have you believe.

His BB% improved in each of his first three months (3.7/7.6/11.6) and remained in double digits in September and October, when the games “really matter”. After a rough July, he cut down on his strikeouts by 10% in August. He hit to all fields, posting OPS totals of 1.047 and 1.099 to center and right field, respectively. He could stand to swing at a few less pitches out of the zone (38.9%, MLB average is 31%) unless he can up his O-Contact% in the years to come (52.9%, MLB average is 66.6%). So there is still work to be done, improvements to strive for, and adjustments to be made.

Defensively, DRS and UZR absolutely adored Puig in right field, crediting him with 10 and 4.7 runs saved, respectively, which would put him on pace to be a plus defender even with all those mistakes. He also displayed improved instincts on the bases at times — a promising sign for the future — but for the time being, he shouldn’t be stealing bases until he can do so at a far greater clip than 58%.

His mistakes garnered national attention and were mostly blown way, way out of proportion, though Puig could certainly tame his aggression at times. Selective aggression is always a good idea, and there are plenty of players and coaches around to help Yasiel through the process.

All in all, Puig’s final slash line came in at .319/.391/.534/.925 with a .398 wOBA and wRC+ of 160. He smashed 42 extra-base hits, had eight outfield assists, and hit no matter what spot in the lineup he was penciled in at. Puig was one of the best, if not the best, hitters plate appearance for plate appearance in the National League this year — of guys with at least 400 trips to the dish — as he led the league with a 160 wRC+. Yes, I wouldn’t bank on his BABIP remaining at .383 forever, though he’s plenty fast enough to continue getting those infield singles and beating out close plays for a while. Some regression in 2014 is likely, but he’s still an exceptionally valuable piece on an extremely team-friendly deal (five years and $26 million remaining).

Puig just put together a bumpy but incredible ~4.5 WAR rookie campaign, and he’s going to make just $2 million in 2014. At the height of his current contract, he’ll make $7.5 million … in 2018. In a baseball world where the going rate for a win is around $6 million, his bargain contract makes the franchise right fielder all the more valuable. An outfield of Puig, a healthy Matt Kemp, and anybody else looks mighty fine moving forward, so hopefully we get to see it in 2014.

Five Dodgers minor-league players were voted as All-Stars for their respective leagues, according to a poll conducted by Baseball America. The main prospects on the list were one of the system’s top prospects in Joc Pederson and one of the system’s up-and-coming prospects in Jacob Scavuzzo.

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In AAA, Nick Buss of the Albuquerque Isotopes made the outfield for the Pacific Coast League. He has posted a .303/.363/.525/.888 line, but at 26 is just trying to move up from organizational depth to a spot on the 40-man roster.

In AA, Joc Pederson of the Chattanooga Lookouts made the outfield for the Southern League. One of the Dodgers’ best prospects, he has put up a .278/.381/.497/.878 line against advanced pitching at age 21. He’ll probably move up to AAA next year, unless the Dodgers make his inevitable trade during the off-season.

At A+, Scott Schebler of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes made the outfield for the California League. A bit older for the league than most future regulars, Schebler has posted an impressive .296/.360/.581/.941 line. He’s a solid prospect and certainly one to watch as he moves to AA. The disadvantage is that he doesn’t necessarily have the time other prospects do in terms of repeating the league.

At A, Geoff Brown of the Great Lakes Loons made the bullpen for the Midwest League. At 24, he’s not much of a prospect, but he put up a 2.08 ERA in 78.0 innings pitched.

At R, Jacob Scavuzzo of the Ogden Raptors made the outfield for the Pioneer League. Splitting time between right and center, Scavuzzo put up a monster line of .305/.352/.580/.932. And while he’s not the second-most likely to make the MLB on this list, he probably is the second-best prospect on this list, as his name even came up back when Dustin Nosler talked with Logan White. At 6’4″ and just 19, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic.

The soon-to-be 25-year-old out of Sam Houston State just edges out Lindsey Caughel (14 IP, 6 Runs [2 ER], 8 K, 4 BB) on the strength of better swing-and-miss stuff this week.

Shelton has had a good season in Rancho, pitching almost exclusively in relief (3.35 FIP, 8.87 K/9).

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Low-A Great Lakes Loons (3-4)

Player Of The Week – 8/26

James Baldwin – OF

.214/.389/.571/.960, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 Runs, 1 3B, 3 BB, 5 K, 2 SB

The 21-year-old has continued to struggle after a somewhat promising 2011 season.

On the bright side, his BB% has increased in each of his four pro seasons. On the downside, everything else. He strikes out a ludicrous amount (~30% in each of his four seasons, increasing every year to 36% [!] in 2013) and he also doesn’t hit for power.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/26

Julio Urias – LHP

4 IP, 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 5 K, 0 BB

Urias made the most of his last appearance of 2013 and finishes the year strong (2.87 FIP, 11.10 K/9, 2.65 BB/9), especially considering he pitched in Low-A ball this year as a 16/17-year-old.

The Dodgers’ 12th-round pick in 2013 out of BYU, Law has had a tremendous start to his pro career in Ogden and the Arizona League, and it would be huge for the organization if he can stick at third and continue to develop into something worthwhile at the major league level.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/26

Jake Fisher – LHP

5 IP, 1 Run, 6 Hits, 5 K, 1 BB

Fisher, a 22-year-old selected in the 22nd round of the 2013 draft, has struggled in his Pioneer League debut, but put up his best start of the season this week.

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Arizona League Dodgers (3-2)

The Arizona League Dodgers lost to the Arizona League Giants on Sunday in the AZL Championship Game.

Player Of The Week – 8/26

Josmar Cordero – 1B/DH

.667/.667/1.333/2.000, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 Runs, 1 2B, 0 BB, 0 K

Cordero made the most of his six plate appearances by reaching base four times and clubbing two extra-base hits. The 21-year-old Venezuelan has been solid in his AZL debut.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/26

Victor Arano – RHP

9 IP, 4 Runs, 10 Hits, 11 K, 1 BB

It was a two-start week for Arano (including the AZL Championship), and the 18-year-old put forth a strong week to close out a solid debut campaign in the AZL. He posted a 3.06 FIP and ~3.76:1 K:BB ratio in a season he split between starting and relieving.

I attended the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes game on August 22. For a recap with some pictures and videos of both Corey Seager and Lindsey Caughel, and autographs from those two that I picked up, head over here.

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Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (4-3)

Player Of The Week – 8/19

Scott Van Slyke – 1B/OF

.462/.696/.769/1.465, 6 RBI, 8 Runs, 1 3B, 2 2B, 10 BB, 2 K, 1 SB

Seriously, how does SVS not have a permanent spot on the Dodgers powerless bench? SVS only appeared in five of the seven games the Topes played this week.

Red’s put together a very good campaign in Triple-A, both as a starter and a reliever, especially considering he pitches in a launching pad of a ballpark. After not starting a game in 2012, the 26-year-old has performed admirably in 2013.

Honorable mentions to Matt Magill, who fanned nine against one walk in six innings of three-run ball, and Onelki Garcia, who struck out seven in four plus innings of work.

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Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (6-1)

Player Of The Week – 8/19

Angelo Songco – 1B

.412/.474/.941/1.415, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 5 Runs, 1 3B, 1 2B, 2 BB, 4 K

When you slug around .950, yeah, you’re going to get the nod as Player Of The Week. Songco has really struggled in Double-A, but he’s been phenomenal over his last 15 games in Chattanooga (.341/.408/.659/1.067).

Shout-out to Joc Pederson for another outstanding week of play (.292/.393/.708/1.101, 3 HR).

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/19

Chris Reed – LHP

13 IP, 3 Runs, 12 Hits, 10 K, 4 BB

The former first-rounder threw a seven-inning, eight-strikeout complete-game shutout in his first of two starts this week. He’s been okay in Double-A this season, but his strikeout rate is down and his walk rate is still too high, both of which are troubling.

Sweeney moved to second once Seager was promoted, and with the lack of second base depth in the minors, it would be big if the 22-year-old can handle the position as he continues to work on developing his skill set.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/19

Lindsey Caughel – RHP

6 IP, 2 Runs [1 ER], 7 Hits, 8 K, 3 BB

Caughel continues to impress. I attended this game and Lindsey got no help from his defense on multiple occasions and had little BABIP luck (a bad hop on a ball hit to short, as an example).

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Low-A Great Lakes Loons (6-1)

Player Of The Week – 8/19

Jose Capellan – C

.409/.417/.636/1.053, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 3 Runs. 2 2B, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 SB

Capellan, a 22-year-old backstop out of the Dominican Republic, has struggled mightily after a very good 2012 in the Pioneer League.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/19

Zachary Bird – RHP

6 IP, 0 Runs, 3 Hits, 6 K, 1 BB

Bird has been a much better pitcher since July 21, which led to his promotion back to Great Lakes on August 16. Over his last seven starts, he’s whiffing a batter an inning, has a K/BB ratio of better than three-to-one, and an ERA of 2.75.

The Dodgers eighth-round selection out of Georgia in 2013, Farmer’s Ogden debut has gone very well as he’s hit for quite a bit of power.

The walk rate could improve and, being that he came out of college, he’s very old for the league at 23. Perhaps the Dodgers have found a future piece to the puzzle (backup) if he continues to improve and can move levels quickly over the next year or so.

Araujo, soon-to-be 21, has displayed excellent command in his first taste of Ogden, striking out nearly a batter an inning while walking less than 2.5/9 en route to a 3.35 FIP.

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Arizona League Dodgers (3-2)

Player Of The Week – 8/19

David Reid-Foley – C

.500/.625/1.000/1.625, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 Runs, 2 BB, 0 K

Reid-Foley gets the nod for a second straight week. He hasn’t been playing much in August but has made the most of the plate appearances given to him.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/19

Victor Gonzalez – LHP

3 IP, 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 4 K, 0 BB

Just 17, the Mexican southpaw has excelled in his professional debut with a nearly 4:1 K:BB mark in 36 innings of work.

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Dominican Summer League Dodgers (2-2)

The Dominican Summer League ended on the 24th, so this will be our final DSL recap until 2014.

Player Of The Week – 8/19

Jose Luis Javier – IF

.545/.545/.727/1.273, 2 Runs, 1 3B, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 SB

JLJ played second, short, and third en route to a big week at the dish. The 20-year-old is having his best season in the DSL (.378 OBP, ~76% successful on SB attempts) since making his pro debut in 2011.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/19

Jose Escudero – RHP

3 IP, 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 3 K, 0 BB

Escudero’s DSL and professional debut has been quite good. 18 years of age, Jose has pitched almost exclusively in relief, and as time progresses I’d like to see an uptick in Ks.

I had the opportunity to see Corey Seager live for the first time, and the skills and raw talent are all there. It’ll be exciting to see what the future holds for the Dodgers top prospect.

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Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (1-6)

Player Of The Week – 8/12

Eliezer Alfonzo – C

.421/.421/.526/.947, 3 RBI, 3 2B, 0 BB, 4 K

Recalled from the Triple-A Mexican League, Alfonzo’s first taste of Albuquerque went very well.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/12

Angel Castro – RHP

13 IP, 4 Runs, 14 Hits, 11 K, 4 BB

On the strength of his first start (7 IP/1 H/9 K/1 BB), Castro gets the nod this week. Castro has been a solid starter in Albuquerque this season, which is saying something considering it’s a launching pad. Perhaps most impressive is that Angel has only allowed five homers in the PCL in 2013.

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Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (1-5)

Player Of The Week – 8/12

Joc Pederson – OF

.435/.536/.826/1.362, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 5 Runs, 5 BB, 2 K

Pederson had a monster week at the dish after a rough stretch for the last month and a half. Whether the Dodgers will choose to send him to Triple-A or not remains to be seen, as they could feel it won’t prove much, what with it being a hitter’s paradise and all.

Pederson still remains a major trade chip with the Dodgers’ logjam in the outfield at the major league level.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/12

Ross Stripling – RHP

6 IP, 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 5 K, 2 BB

Stripling has pitched in the rotation and out of the pen in Chattanooga, putting up an excellent season in Double-A.

Stover, the 22-year-old Californian, has crushed the ball in Ogden after early struggles in Great Lakes.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/12

Ricky Perez – RHP

3.1 IP, 1 Run (0 ER), 3 Hits, 3 K, 0 BB

It was a bad, bad, atrociously bad week for Raptors’ pitchers. Perez made two scoreless relief appearances and missed some bats. The 23-year-old was one of the few Ogden arms to get through an outing without allowing opponents to cross home.

Perez hasn’t fared well since joining the organization in 2012, allowing too many hits.

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Arizona League Dodgers (3-3)

Player Of The Week – 8/12

David Reid-Foley – C/DH

.429/.429/.571/1.000, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 0 BB, 2 K

DRF only played in two games but he made the most of his seven plate appearances. The 22-year-old Michigan native has struggled to hit in Arizona but had his best game of the season (3-4 with a double) this week.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/12

Bernardo Reyes – RHP

8 IP, 0 Runs, 4 Hits, 10 K, 1 BB

The 18-year-old Reyes, signed out of Mexico earlier this year, had himself a stellar two-start week. He’s off to a nice start in the Arizona League.

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Dominican Summer League Dodgers (2-4)

Player Of The Week – 8/12

Ibandel Isabel – OF

.500/.524/.800/1.324, 3 RBI, 2 Runs, 1 3B, 4 2B, 1 BB, 2 K

Isabel makes yet another appearance in DOTF. He’s killing it in his DSL debut and is just 18 years of age.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/12

Jairo Pacheco – LHP

9 IP, 0 Runs, 3 Hits, 7 K, 5 BB

Jairo, a 17-year-old southpaw, has been outstanding in his DSL debut campaign. He’s missing bats, limiting his walks (this week notwithstanding), and keeping guys off the bases.

The Dodgers announced that they have outrighted catcher John Baker from the 40-man roster, leaving the current count at 39. The 32-year-old was claimed off of waivers from the Padres back in mid-June and has hit just .183/.278/.247 in 108 Triple-A plate appearances in the Dodgers organization.

The big news this week is the promotion of top prospect Corey Seager from Low-A Great Lakes to High-A Rancho Cucamonga. Seager absolutely killed Low-A pitching, hitting .309/.389/.529/.918 with a .410 wOBA and 153 wRC+.

He did that as a 19-year-old. The sky’s the limit.

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Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (2-5 & 3-3)

Player Of The Week – 7/29

Scott Van Slyke – 1B

.429/.500/1.000/1.500, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 Runs, 1 2B, 1 BB, 3 K

SVS only played in two games this week before being recalled to the bigs, but he made the most of his eight plate appearances and was the driving force behind the Topes only two victories of the week.

Pitcher Of The Week – 7/29

Matt Magill – RHP

12 IP, 1 Run, 6 Hits, 15 K, 6 BB

Magill gets the nod on the strength of two fantastic starts, as he continues to bounce back very nicely from injury. Honorable mention to Matt Palmer, who fanned eight over six innings of two-run (1 ER) ball.

Player Of The Week – 8/05

Scott Van Slyke – 1B

.500/.625/1.000/1.625, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 Runs, 4 BB, 3 K

Van Slyke gets the nod once again for another outstanding week in Albuquerque. SVS has clearly proven he can do it all offensively in AAA, and it’s about time he has a permanent spot on the bench and splits time with Andre Ethier in L.A. as a platoon partner.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/05

Jonathan Sanchez – LHP

6 IP, 1 Run, 8 Hits, 8 K, 2 BB

Yeah, that Jonathan Sanchez. The former Giant, who once upon a time threw a no-hitter, had his second-best start with the Topes since being signed by the Dodgers. Could he see The Show when rosters expand? Sure. Do I want him to? No.

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Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (0-7 & 2-5)

Player Of The Week – 7/29

Osvaldo Martinez – 3B

.333/.360/.458/.818, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 Run, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 SB

The 25-year-old, who has struggled against Double-A pitching this season, stood out in an atrocious week for the Lookouts and their bats.

Pitcher Of The Week – 7/29

Zach Lee – RHP

5 IP, 2 Runs, 5 Hits, 6 K, 0 BB

Lee continues to excel in his first full season in Chattanooga. With a FIP of 3.24, over 8 Ks per nine, and just over two free passes per nine, Lee has cemented himself as the top prospect we all thought him to be after he was drafted.

Player Of The Week – 8/05

Angelo Songco – 1B

.375/.412/.625/1.037, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 Run, 1 2B, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 SB

Songco edges out Rafael Ynoa (.292/.485/.500/.985, 1 HR, 9 BB). Double-A has been a real struggle for Angelo in 2013, but perhaps this week can get him on the right track.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/05

Zach Lee – RHP

11 IP, 2 Runs, 6 Hits, 10 K, 2 BB

Lee takes the honor again, as he had his swing-and-miss stuff working and limited baserunners.

A number of Quakes had fine offensive weeks, with Coyle getting a slight edge for slugging nearly .850 while reaching base safely in almost half of his plate appearances.

Pitcher Of The Week – 7/29

Gustavo Gomez – RHP

6 IP, 2 Runs, 8 Hits, 6 K, 4 BB

Quakes pitchers this week were … not good, to say the least. Gomez allowed far too many baserunners, but limited the ensuing damage, so he gets the nod. The 22-year-old has missed bats with Rancho, but has also given away too many free passes while generally getting lit-up.

Jacobs absolutely demolished the baseball this week. He hit for insane power, got on-base in over half of his plate appearances, and even stole a couple of bags for good measure.

The soon-to-be 25-year-old is crazy old for the league, but he’s been killing High-A pitching after struggling mightily with AA arms and being sent down earlier in the season.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/05

Lindsey Caughel – RHP

13.2 IP, 6 Runs (5 ER), 12 Hits, 13 K, 3 BB

Caughel put forth another fantastic start, in addition to a solid one, in what has been a tremendous run through his first taste of High-A. Caughel has displayed phenomenal control throughout his two-year professional career.

The recently-signed Edwin Carl earns a mention as well, as he made his Dodger debut and missed bat after bat in two relief appearances (3.2 IP, 1 Run, 2 Hits, 9 K, 4 BB).

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Low-A Great Lakes Loons (4-2 & 4-3)

Player Of The Week – 7/29

Corey Seager – SS

.462/.588/1.308/1.896, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 3 Runs, 2 2B, 3 BB, 2 K

That’s Seager’s line in just four games. Yeah, a promotion was most certainly in order.

Pitcher Of The Week – 7/29

Tom Windle – LHP

7.2 IP, 2 Runs, 4 Hits, 11 K, 5 BB

Though Windle’s second start was less than stellar, his first start was fantastic and he missed enough bats in the second one to merit this spot.

Player Of The Week – 8/05

Kevin Taylor – 2B

.368/.429/.632/1.060, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 Runs, 1 3B, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 SB

The 22-year-old doesn’t hit for a lot of power but has displayed excellent command of the strike zone with Great Lakes in 2013 and has improved upon his 2012 Midwest League numbers.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/05

Miguel Sulbaran – LHP

4 IP, 1 Run, 2 Hits, 5 K, 1 BB

The 19-year-old out of Venezuela just edged out Windle for the spot. The southpaw is faring much better in his second stint in the Midwest League.

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Ogden Raptors (5-2 & 2-5)

Player Of The Week – 7/29

Jacob Scavuzzo – OF

.350/.417/.800/1.217, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 6 Runs, 1 3B, 1 2B, 3 BB, 2 K

A number of Raptors had excellent offensive weeks, but Scavuzzo gets the glory for his .800 SLG and the fact that he had less batted ball luck than the other Ogden players up for consideration.

Pitcher Of The Week – 7/29

Zachary Bird – RHP

6 IP, 0 Runs, 6 Hits, 9 K, 2 BB

The righty, who turned 19 last month, has the stuff and ability to be a middle of the rotation guy and generate swings-and-misses, but he’s thus far struggled to keep guys off base. Perhaps, though, this start is a sign of things to come, as his last handful of starts have been much better across all fronts.

Player Of The Week – 8/05

Jesus Valdez – 1B/DH

.400/.455/.650/1.105, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 Runs, 2 2B, 2 BB, 5 K

After struggling in Great Lakes to open the season, Valdez, the 21-year-old Oxnard native, has found success in Ogden, hitting for power and showing solid plate discipline. He’s somewhat old for the league, so he’ll need to show immediate improvement when the Dodgers promote him.

The 22-year-old Dominican has displayed excellent plate discipline and great instincts on the basepaths in 2013. Faustino has played like what we hoped Dee Gordon would play like.

Pitcher Of The Week – 7/29

Abdiel Velasquez – RHP

5 IP, 2 Runs, 4 Hits, 5 K, 1 BB

The 20-year-old Panamanian has put up excellent peripherals in 2013, striking out a batter per inning while posting a K:BB ratio of 3:1. His season has been Chris Capuano-esque, with good outings followed by bad outings and the cycle continually repeating.

Player Of The Week – 8/05

Josh Henderson – OF

.375/.421/.688/1.109, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4 Runs, 2 2B, 2 BB, 3 K

The club’s 16th-round pick in 2012, the 19-year-old outfielder has had an excellent and much-improved campaign in the Arizona League, though it’s only been 16 games so far this year.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/05

Jose De Leon – RHP

5 IP, 0 Runs, 3 Hits, 10 K, 0 BB

The AZL Dodgers had three pitchers deserving of this spot, and De Leon gets it because he not only had the best start of the three this week, but he was the only one of the troika to get just one start.

JLJ, who will turn 21 later this year, laced ‘em up at second, third, and short en route to a monster week. He’s shown a good eye at the dish this year, and solid skills on the bases, making up for the fact that he’s never going to hit for power.

Pitcher Of The Week – 7/29

Kevin Guzman – RHP

8 IP, 1 Run (0 ER), 4 Hits, 9 K, 1 BB

The 18-year-old out of Venezuela, who was signed earlier this year, has been tremendous in his debut season, displaying an excellent command of the strike zone and swing-and-miss stuff.

Player Of The Week – 8/05

Ibandel Isabel – OF/DH

.308/.471/.538/1.009, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 Runs, 4 BB, 4 K

Isabel continues his stellar start as a pro, hitting for power and getting on-base at excellent clips, especially considering he’s all of 18 years old.

Pitcher Of The Week – 8/05

Wellington Serrano – LHP

9 IP, 3 Runs (2 ER), 8 Hits, 6 K, 3 BB

Serrano toed the rubber twice this week and continues the strong start to his professional career. Not even 19, the southpaw has thrown just under 50 innings.

Baseball America recently polled managers from the MLB to A-ball, asking them to name the top players in their league in various categories. Players in the Dodgers organization were named 10 times throughout the poll, which actually is a bit disappointing, all things considered.

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At the highest level, Dodgers players were named six times by big-league managers, led by Clayton Kershaw.

Kershaw was named the best pitcher in the National League, possessing the second-best curve (behind Adam Wainwright), and being tied for the second-best pickoff move with Clayton Richard (behind Julio Teheran). Rookies Hyun Jin Ryu and Yasiel Puig also landed on the list, with Ryu’s change being named as second-best behind Cole Hamels, and Puig’s arm checking in at third-best behind Carlos Gonzalez and Gerardo Parra. Additionally, Mark Ellis was named the third-best defensive second baseman behind Brandon Phillips and Darwin Barney.

Analytically speaking, Kershaw leads the NL in WAR when using the averaged components of RA/9 and FIP (5.6). Kershaw’s curve is the second-most valuable in the NL, trailing Jhoulys Chacin (Wainwright is fourth). Kershaw is tied for fourth in the NL in pickoffs with four, while Teheran leads with eight and Richard is tied for 20th at one.

As for the rest, Ryu’s change is the fifth-most valuable in the NL, behind Hamels, Jose Fernandez, Tim Lincecum, and Stephen Strasburg. Meanwhile, Puig already has five outfield assists in his abbreviated season (and should have two more if it weren’t for blown calls), while Gonzalez leads with 11. As for Ellis, using an average of DRS/UZR/FRAA metrics shows him to be a positive 2.6 runs defensively, which would rank around the top 6-7 in the NL.

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At AAA Albuquerque Isotopes, the lack of importance placed on the level by the organization seemed to show, as they were the only affiliate in the Dodgers organization without a representative on the list.

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The AA Chattanooga Lookoutsrepresentation was led solely by Joc Pederson, who garnered two mentions. One as the best defensive outfielder, the other as the most exciting player.

Understandably, much has been written about Pederson, who has a .275/.373/.474/.847 line as a 21-year-old in AA and has been called the best prospect in the system by some. Most importantly, the tools have scouts excited, though I am a bit surprised to see him grade out as the best outfielder in the league since there are questions about whether he can stay in center.

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At high-ARancho Cucamonga Quakes, Jonathan Garcia was named as the best outfield arm.

Garcia’s prospect star has faded following his peak in 2010, but he is having a resurgence this year, posting a .287/.337/.574/.911 line in high-A and earning a promotion. Unfortunately, he is struggling against advanced pitching to the tune of a .186/.245/.235/.481 line, but he’s still just 21.

His 12 outfield assists in 67 games (yes, really) at Rancho explain his rating here.

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Finally, at A-ballGreat Lakes Loons, Scott Griggs was named the best reliever.

Griggs has always had nasty stuff, and as a 22-year-old college reliever in A-ball, he’s absolutely clowning. He has a 2.56 ERA and 2.67 FIP in 45.2 innings, but it’s the ridiculous 14.6 K/9 rate that has likely given him this recognition. He’s always had the stuff to succeed, but he’s likely still wandering around A-ball because he’s walking 6.5 batters per nine.

Sorry, no Julio Urias this week, as the ridiculously young hurler didn’t go beyond two innings in either of his starts. The southpaw hasn’t exceeded two innings since early July.

—–

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (1-3 & 4-3)

Player Of The Week – 7/15

It was a short week for the Topes with the Triple-A All-Star Game eating into the week.

Nick Buss – OF

.333/.385/.583/.968, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 Runs, 3 K, 1 BB, 2 SB

Buss and Alex Castellanos were close, but Nick edged out his teammate to continue his strong season in Albuquerque.

Pitcher Of The Week – 7/15

Matt Magill – RHP

4 IP, 1 Run, 3 Hits, 4 K, 5 BB

You know it’s a rough week when the best pitcher walks five in his only appearance. Magill could well find himself back in the bigs if there are a couple of injuries, and after dealing with injury issues of his own, it’s nice to see him work around some control issues to only allow one run and strike out four in four innings.

Player Of The Week – 7/22

Nick Buss – OF

.529/.591/.882/1.473, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 7 Runs, 3 BB, 1 K, 4 SB

Buss takes the nod for a second straight week, as he continues to mash AAA pitching. He could be a September call-up should the Dodgers decide to add him to the 40-man roster.

After a strange and not production-based promotion to Double-A, Gould had himself a hell of a week. He made one start and had his best stuff in four innings of relief, whiffing ten against two walks.

Gould has been much better in Chattanooga than he was in Rancho, and his latest outing provides flashes of what the Dodgers saw when they paid him more than slot to secure his signing in 2009.

—–

High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (4-2 & 5-2)

Player Of The Week – 7/15

Noel Cuevas – OF

.438/.438/.813/1.250, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 Runs, 3 K, 0 BB, 3 SB

Cuevas just edges out Scott Schebler (.296/.310/.815/1.125, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 6 Runs), as Cuevas did his damage in two fewer games and struck out ten times less than Scott. The Quakes had a number of guys swing the bat well this week en route to their four wins.

Pitcher Of The Week – 7/15

Carlos Frias -RHP

7 IP, 1 Run, 3 Hits 11 K, 1 BB

Frias’ masterful and best outing of the year gives him the edge over Lindsey Caughel, who went 12.1 innings this week (11 Hits, 5 Runs, 14 K, 1 BB).

Player Of The Week – 7/22

Casio Grider – IF/OF

.529/.600/.706/1.306, 1 RBI, 7 Runs, 1 3B, 1 2B, 1 BB, 3 K, 4 SB

Grider capped a solid week by going 5-5 with a double and three runs scored Sunday. The 25-year-old is ridiculously old for High-A and has had a very rough go of it in 2013.

Pitcher Of The Week – 7/22

Eric Eadington – LHP

6.1 IP, 0 Runs, 4 Hits, 9 K, 1 BB

The southpaw has had a terrible 2013 but made three strong relief appearances this week, whiffing nine against just one free pass.

—–

Low-A Great Lakes Loons (4-2 & 3-3)

Player Of The Week – 7/15

James Baldwin – OF

.381/.417/.571/.988, 6 RBI, 3 Runs, 4 2B, 7 K, 2 BB, 2 SB

The soon-to-be 22-year-old center fielder paced the Loons to a 4-2 week and showed nice pop in what has been an improvement over his 2012 Low-A campaign, though he’s still underperforming greatly in Great Lakes.

Pitcher Of The Week – 7/15

Owen Jones – RHP

3 IP, 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 7 K, 3 BB

There were a number of guys with solid weeks who could’ve found themselves in this spot. Jones, a 23-year-old college reliever, made three relief appearances for the Loons and held opponents scoreless while continuing to display his good swing-and-miss stuff.

Player Of The Week – 7/22

Aaron Miller – OF

.389/.500/.722/1.222, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4 Runs, 1 3B, 1 2B, 4 BB, 3 K

Yes, that Aaron Miller. The converted southpaw had himself quite a week, highlighted by a 4-4 effort which included the dinger.

Pitcher Of The Week – 7/22

Tom Windle – LHP

5 IP, 1 Run, 6 Hits, 4 K, 0 BB

The 2013 2nd-rounder continues to impress in his professional debut with another five strong innings of work. Windle is at almost a punch-out an inning thus far, and has allowed just one homer through six starts.

—–

Ogden Raptors (2-4 & 3-3)

Player Of The Week – 7/15

Brandon Trinkwon – SS

.480/.519/.840/1.359, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 Runs, 6 2B, 4 K, 2 BB

The 2013 7th-round selection out of UC Santa Barbara crushed the baseball, as a number of Raptors players had brilliant offensive showings this week. Trinkwon continues his strong debut campaign in the Pioneer League, and I wouldn’t completely rule out a late promotion to Great Lakes.

Pitcher Of The Week – 7/15

Luis De Paula – RHP

3 IP, 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 3 K, 2 BB

It wasn’t a strong week for Raptors pitching, but the 21-year-old Dominican put forth one of his best outings of the season in a relief effort.

Honorable mention to Zachary Bird, who whiffed eleven and walked just two over eight innings of work (one outstanding start and one poor start) while allowing seven earned runs.

Player Of The Week – 7/22

Joey Curletta – OF

.412/.444/.882/1.327, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 4 Runs, 2 2B, 1 BB, 3 K

The young masher did all of his damage in two games this week. Curletta, 19, has displayed a good eye at the plate, and though he possesses immense power, the pair of long balls were his first two homers in 2013 and the first of his professional career.

Buss, the lone Isotope representative for the Triple-A All-Star Game, had himself a solid week and is having a really good season overall. At best, he’s a fifth outfielder type, but being able to play center field is an advantage for him.

Pitcher Of The Week

Blake Johnson – RHP

6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K

Johnson had a nice start this week for the ‘Topes, and has been consistently solid all season. He has the outsidest (yeah, I just wrote that) of chances to see Los Angeles this season.

—–

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (3-4)

Player Of The Week

Joc Pederson – OF

.333/.481/.619/1.100, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 5 R, 4 SB, 5 BB, 4 K

Pederson is the Dodgers’ only Futures Game representative, and has shown all facets of his game this season. Early on, it was the power. Now, he’s showing his plate discipline with some power spliced in. I’d be surprised if he isn’t a full-time major leaguer by mid-2014.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

13 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 10 K

On any other week, Chris Reed would have taken this honor (13 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 14 K), but Lee’s performance just edged him out. I’m more encouraged by Reed’s recent performance, but Lee has been great all season.

—–

High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (2-5)

Player Of The Week

Scott Schebler – OF

.407/.485/.741/1.225, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 6 R, 2 BB, 6 K

Schebler had himself quite a week, including a walk-off grand slam on June 28. With Jonathan Garcia being promoted to Double-A, Schebler is one of the best hitters remaining for the Quakes.

Pitcher Of The Week

Gustavo Gomez – RHP

6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

The Quakes’ rotation has taken some hits from promotions this season (Ross Stripling, Duke Von Schamann, Garrett Gould), but Gomez has been there all season. He hasn’t thrown particularly well, but he gives them some much-needed innings at times.

—–

Low-A Great Lakes Loons (6-1)

Player Of The Week

Jeremy Rathjen – OF

.300/.417/.500/.917, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 2B, 2 R, 2 SB, 4 BB, 4 K

I thought Rathjen would make an appearance earlier in the season on this list, but he’s struggled in the Midwest League so far. However, he had a good week for the resurgent Loons and should be a fixture in the lineup going forward.

Pitcher Of The Week

Scott Griggs – RHP

7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 15 K

That’s not a typo. Griggs struck out 15 in seven innings this week, which earned him Midwest League Player Of The Week honors. The closer for the Loons, Griggs could move quickly if he exhibits enough control.

—–

Ogden Raptors (5-2)

Player Of The Week

Pat Stover – OF

.471/.471/.765/1.236, 6 RBI, 1 2B, 2 3B, 2 R, 2 SB, 0 BB, 3 K

Stover is a bit old for the Pioneer League, but he helped pace the Raptors this week. With a team full of teens and 20-year-olds, Stover is a welcome “veteran” presence in the lineup.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jose Agusto Diaz – RHP

3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K

Diaz spent the last two seasons with the Dominican Summer League Dodgers, so jumping to the Pioneer League is a little more significant for him than most. But he is 22, so he probably should have been up sooner.

—–

Arizona League Dodgers (4-1)

Player Of The Week

Justin Chigbogu – 1B

.350/.417/.850/1.267, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 2 2B, 1 3B, 7 R, 3 BB, 6 K

Chigbogu was recently promoted to Ogden, but he left his mark on the Arizona Rookie League before he left. The 2012 fourth-round draft pick had a 1.091 OPS in 11 games.

Pitcher Of The Week

J.D. Underwood – RHP

3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K

The 2013 fifth-round draft pick made his professional debut, and it was pretty impressive. Underwood could — and probably should — move up to the Pioneer League before season’s end.

—–

Dominican Summer League Dodgers (1-3)

Player Of The Week

Ariel Sandoval – OF

.333/.368/.389/.757, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 4 R, 2 SB, 1 BB, 1 K

An underwhelming performance, but it was one of the best this week in the DSL for the Dodgers. Sandoval was one of the Dodgers’ big international signings in the 2012-13 period, but has gotten off to a rough start in his first taste of professional ball.

Pitcher Of The Week

Welington Serrano – RHP

5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

The 18-year-old notched his second win of the season for the DSL Dodgers this week. He’s not the best pitching prospect down there, as the guy to keep an eye on is Jairo Pacheco. Like Julio Urias, he’s a 16-year-old lefty.

There’s no Julio Urias appearance this week, but some other quality prospects made the list, including Ross Stripling. Also, the two of the Dodgers‘ short-season leagues began play last week (Pioneer League and Arizona Rookie League).

—–

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (5-2 & 4-4)

Player Of The Week – 6/10

Matt Wallach – C

.409/.519/.682/1.201, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R, 5 BB, 3 K

Tim’s son takes this week’s honors with a nice offensive showing for the ‘Topes. He’s bounced around between Double-A and Triple-A, but should, in theory, remain in Albuquerque the rest of the season.

Player Of The Week – 6/17

Nick Buss – OF

.379/.424/.690/1.114, 6 RBI, 5 2B, 2 3B, 7 R, 2 SB, 3 BB, 6 K

Buss, the former USC product, has been a consistent performer for the Isotopes this season, and had himself a pretty good week.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/10

Blake Johnson – RHP

5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K

Johnson continued his consistent season with a nice showing for the ‘Topes. With Matt Magill back in town, he’s the defacto ace of the team, but Johnson isn’t far behind. It’s too bad he’s already 28 years old.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/17

Red Patterson – RHP

6 2/3 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Patterson made two appearances (one start, one relief appearance) and is proving to be a solid all-around pitcher for the Isotopes this season.

—–

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (3-3 & 4-2)

Player Of The Week – 6/10

Brian Cavazos-Galvez – OF

.353/.353/.588/.941, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 2B, 2 R, 2 K

Cavazos-Galvez has stepped in for Yasiel Puig, and has done so quite admirably. The 26-year-old has an .825 OPS in 52 games with the Lookouts this season.

Player Of The Week – 6/17

Osvaldo Martinez – IF

.533/.611/.800/1.411, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 2B, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Martinez was acquired last year from the White Sox and has bounced between Double-A and Triple-A. He’s no more than organizational depth.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/10

Duke Von Schamann – RHP

12 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 14 K

It took the Southern League Pitcher Of The Week to keep Chris Reed from claiming this spot for the second time in three weeks. Von Schamann had quite the week for the Lookouts, as the big league club contemplates recalling Zach Lee before season’s end.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/17

Ross Stripling – RHP

12 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 12 K

Stripling’s strong season continues, and he’s quickly challenging Zach Lee for the title of Lookouts’ ace. The 2012 fifth-round pick has performed much better than anyone expected.

—–

High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (1-6 & 0-4)

Player Of The Week – 6/10

Jonathan Garcia – OF

.560/.577/1.160/1.737, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 2 2B, 2 3B, 5 R, 3 SB, 1 BB, 6 K

Garcia had one of the best weeks any Dodger prospect has had this season, and it earned him California League Player Of The Week honors.

Player Of The Week – 6/17

Darnell Sweeney – SS

.353/.389/.481/.859, 1 RBI, 1 3B, 3 R, 1 SB, 1 BB, 5 K

Sweeney had the best of the short week for the Quakes, as they were coming off the Cal League’s All-Star Game. He’s hit mostly leadoff for the team, and should face the same test next season in Double-A.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/10

Pedro Baez – RHP

3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Not much pitching for the Quakes during this week, hence the honor going to Baez. He’s made a nice transition from third base to the bullpen, but it’s nothing like the Kenley Jansen transition a few years ago.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/17

Jarret Martin – LHP

5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K

This was Martin’s second start of the season in which he didn’t walk a batter — something he previously said he had never done in his baseball career. Well, now he can say he’s done it twice.

—–

Low-A Great Lakes Loons (5-3 & 3-1)

Player Of The Week – 6/10

Leo Rodriguez – 3B

.414/.500/.414/.914, 4 RBI, 4 R, 4 BB, 3 K

Despite hitting all singles (12), Rodriguez was the best hitter for the Loons during this week. He’s had a nice season as a utility infielder for the Loons, and he filled in for Corey Seager when he was on the disabled list.

Player Of The Week – 6/17

Corey Seager – SS

.467/.500/1.200/1.700, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 2 2B, 1 BB, 3 K

Seager, who hadn’t played since June 9 prior to this week (MWL also had its All-Star break), returned with a bang. He had a multi-homer game and tacked on another homer for good measure. He’s starting to heat up after what could be considered a slow start. However, he’s just 19 years old and is more than holding his own.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/10

Miguel Sulbaran – LHP

6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K

Sulbaran is eerily similar in stature to Urias, but the Venezuelan native isn’t as talented. Still, he’s holding his own as a 19-year-old in the Midwest League, pitching in the rotation and out of the bullpen.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/17

Arismendy Ozoria – RHP

2 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Ozoria has struggled this season, but he had a nice week, striking out five of the seven batters he faced.

—–

Ogden Raptors (2-2)

Player Of The Week – 6/17

Kyle Farmer – C

.444/.444/1.000/1.444, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 K

The 2013 eighth-round pick had himself quite the debut week, albeit a small sample. He’s making the transition from college middle infielder to professional catcher, so anything he provides offensively is just gravy.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/17

Victor Araujo – RHP

6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

This performance would be more impressive if Araujo weren’t already 23.3 years old. He’s quite old for the Pioneer League, but should provide the Raptors with some stability.

—–

Arizona League Dodgers (2-4)

Player Of The Week – 6/17

Justin Chigbogu – 1B

.353/.389/.765/.1.154, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1 2B, 5 R, 0 BB, 8 K

The Dodgers’ fourth-rounder in 2012, Chigbogu had himself a nice debut week in Arizona. As a high school draftee, he’s age-appropriate for the league. He made 11 outs this week, eight of which were strikeouts. That’s something to keep an eye on going forward for the Ryan Howard-clone.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/17

Pablo Gonzalez – RHP

5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K

At 22 years old, Gonzalez is facing mostly teenagers in the Arizona League, so anything he does should be taken with a grain of salt. But he had a nice 2013 debut.

—–

Dominican Summer League Dodgers (2-4)

Player Of The Week – 6/10

Jose Luis Javier – 3B/2B

.500/.550/.778/1.328, 5 RBI, 1 2B, 2 3B, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K

Javier was the team’s best hitter for the second consecutive week, but he isn’t much of a prospect.

Player Of The Week – 6/17

Luis Rodriguez – C

.429/.529/.786/1.315, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 2B, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 K

The 18-year-old is bordering on too old for the league, but he had a nice week nonetheless. He could get promoted to Arizona if he continues to perform.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/10

Francisco Martinez – RHP

6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K

The 21-year-old had a nice outing for the DSL Dodgers this week. Admittedly, I don’t know a lick about him, but he’s old for the DSL at 21.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/17

Hector Rodriguez – RHP

7 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K

Rodriguez made two short starts for the DSL club this week. If you combine them, it looks like he had one really solid start. The 18-year-old could be someone to watch in the Dominican.

All I really care about is Julio Urias, but there were a couple prospects who had solid weeks for their respective Dodgers minor-league teams. With Yasiel Puig having been promoted from Double-A, the Lookouts offense now runs through Joc Pederson. The Dominican Summer League started play this week as well, and some of the bigger international signings should log ample playing time in the league.

—–

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (5-2 & 3-3)

Player Of The Week – 5/27

Jeremy Moore – OF

.389/.476/.778/1.254, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 R, 1 SB, 3 BB, 3 K

Moore, picked up in the offseason after being released by the Angels, had himself a nice week for the Isotopes. He missed the entire 2012 season, and at 25 isn’t much of a prospect, but he has a little shine left (emphasis on little).

Player Of The Week – 6/3

Matt Angle – OF

.500/.600/1.250/1.850, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 3 K

The man who amazingly remained on the 40-man roster for the entire 2012 season, Angle had his best week to date. With Scott Van Slyke and now Alex Castellanos in Los Angeles, Angle will continue to get lots of playing time in the outfield.

Pitcher Of The Week – 5/27

Blake Johnson – RHP

7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K

Johnson has been one of the only constants in the Isotopes rotation this season. He’s having a particularly good season in Albuquerque.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/3

Red Patterson – RHP

10 2/3 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 12 K

I’ve had a soft spot for Patterson over the last couple seasons. He’s underrated and could be a long reliever in the majors. He’s been a staple in the Isotopes bullpen and is now getting the occasional start.

—–

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (4-3 & 5-1)

Player Of The Week – 5/27

Gorman Erickson – C

.333/.444/.800/1.244, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 2B, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 K

Erickson beat out the otherworldly Yasiel Puig for this week’s honor. Erickson hit almost as many home runs this week as he did all of last season in the Southern League. Unfortunately, he’s hitting less than .200.

Player Of The Week – 6/3

Sean Burroughs – 3B

.429/.529/.571/1.100, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 1 K

Yeah, this is that Sean Burroughs. The Lookouts haven’t been hitting a whole lot, and Burroughs’ solid week took the proverbial cake. It’s hard to give this honor to a guy who’s 32 in Double-A, but here we are.

Pitcher Of The Week – 5/27

Chris Reed – LHP

7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K

It was difficult to not put Zach Lee (7 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 8 K, Southern League Pitcher Of The Week), but Reed outdueled Diamondbacks prospect Archie Bradley in his lone appearance. That earned him some points in my book. Reed is destined for the bullpen, but if he has a few more starts like this, he could remain in the rotation for a bit longer.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/3

Andres Santiago – RHP

6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Santiago edged out some solid performances from Rob Rasmussen, Jose Dominguez, and Yimi Garcia for this week’s honor. Santiago hasn’t been great this season, but perhaps this could be the start of something good.

—–

High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (2-5 & 3-4)

Player Of The Week – 5/27

O’Koyea Dickson – 1B

.345/.387/.724/1.111, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 5 2B, 7 R, 1 BB, 7 K

Dickson is steadily having a decent season for the Quakes, playing mostly first base while also DHing and even logging some surprising innings at third base. This was his best week to date.

Player Of The Week – 6/3

Darnell Sweeney – SS

.379/.424/.621/1.045, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 R, 2 SB, 3 BB, 11 K

Sweeney has posted some decent numbers this season, including a cycle earlier this year. He’s hit both leadoff and third for the Quakes, but is firmly entrenched as their leadoff man for now and likely the rest of the season.

Pitcher Of The Week – 5/27

Jarret Martin – LHP

6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K

Martin had a solid week for the Quakes, as the team continues to lose pitchers to promotions. Barring anything unforeseen, Martin should be in the Rancho rotation the rest of the season.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/3

Gustavo Gomez – RHP

7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

Gomez is pitching a lot better than expected for the Quakes this season. His 4.12 ERA, considering the environment, is solid, but his 3.41 FIP and 2.98 SIERA are even better. This was his best start of the season.

—–

Low-A Great Lakes Loons (1-6 & 4-2)

Player Of The Week – 5/27

Aaron Miller – OF

.273/.333/.455/.788, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K

It was a poor offensive week for the Loons, so the converted pitcher takes the honor this week. Considering Miller just recently made the change, he’s not doing too poorly.

Player Of The Week – 6/3

Tyler Ogle – C/1B

.455/.571/.727/1.298, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 2B, 5 BB, 4 K

Ogle, named to the Midwest League All-Star team, edged out Corey Seager for this week’s honor. He’s the team’s best veteran hitter, and it shows with his team-leading .418 on-base percentage.

Pitcher Of The Week – 5/27

Carlos Frias – RHP

6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Another MWL All-Star, Frias is the ace of the Loons’ rotation. At 23, he’s not age-appropriate for the league, but he’s pitching well nonetheless.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/3

Julio Urias – RHP

5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K

Urias’ amazing debut continued with the best outing of his young career. He has a special arm and could be the team’s top prospect in a year or two.

—–

Dominican Summer League Dodgers (2-4)

Player Of The Week – 6/3

Jose Luis Javier – 3B/2B

.300/.364/.450/.814, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K

It was tough to find a player from the DSL Dodgers’ opening week, but Javier had the best statistical week. It’d be more impressive if he weren’t 20 years old. I expect guys like Michael Medina and Ariel Sandoval to populate this list the rest of the summer.

Pitcher Of The Week – 6/3

Nelson Sandoval – RHP

4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K

The 19-year-old Venezuelan had a nice season debut after throwing 17 2/3 innings with the DSL squad in 2012. He could be a guy to watch this summer.

Ted Lillyhit the DL yet again, and Matt Magill was recalled yet again to take his place in the rotation.

The Dodgers on Sunday made official what was reported on Saturday, that Ted Lilly was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a neck sprain and Matt Magill was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to start the series finale against the Braves at Dodger Stadium.

There were some usual suspects playing well in the Dodgers farm system this week, but one player’s professional debut stood out above the rest.

—–

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (4-3)

Player Of The Week

Elian Herrera – 2B

.429/.500/.607/1.107, 1 HR, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 7 R, 5 SB, 4 BB, 5 K

Herrera, the subject of call-up rumors, had a fantastic week with the Isotopes. He’s hitting .304 on the season and is still on the 40-man roster. He could get the call any time the Dodgers need an infielder/outfielder type.

Pitcher Of The Week

Matt Magill – RHP

6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K

Magill might be this year’s version of John Ely, except he actually has a future in the majors. Magill had one start and is in line to start for the Dodgers if Hyun Jin Ryu can’t make his next scheduled start.

—–

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (6-1)

Player Of The Week

Yasiel Puig – OF

.353/.455/.471/.925, 2 2B, 7 RBI, 2 R, 2 SB, 4 BB, 2 K

Puig didn’t show a lot of power this week, but he showed the ability to get on base and help carry the Lookouts to a 6-1 record. Puig could very well be in the majors by the time this goes live.

Pitcher Of The Week

Yimi Garcia – RHP

4 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K

The Lookouts’ primary closer had himself quite a week. He was perfect and struck out nine of the 14 batters he faced. While he’s not in consideration for a bullpen spot in LA this season, he could be as early as 2014.

—–

High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-3)

Player Of The Week

Jonathan Garcia – RF

.348/.423/.913/1.336, 3 HR, 2 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 SB

Garcia got the nod over Noel Cuevas this week, but both Quake outfielders were great this week. These two are helping to carry the team. It’s a team that could go on a hot streak soon, provided the pitching holds up.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jarret Martin – LHP

5 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K

Martin recorded a lot of strikeouts in his outing this week, but also gave up a lot of hits. Fortunately, he didn’t allow any runs. He’s fairing pretty well in the California League so far.

—–

Low-A Great Lakes Loons (2-4)

Player Of The Week

Tyler Ogle – 1B/C

.350/.435/.550/.985, 1 HR, 1 2B, 5 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 K

Ogle has been a stabilizing player for the Loons amidst the young and inconsistent players. He’s seeing more time at first base, and he should with Paul Hoenecke going on the disabled list.

Pitcher Of The Week

Julio Urias – LHP

3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K

With apologies to Jharel Cotton (who’s throwing extremely well this season), it’s hard to not give this one to a 16-year-old making his professional debut in full-season baseball. His debut was shocking in the sense that he shouldn’t be any higher than Rookie-ball at this point. He won’t remain with the Loons the entire season, but he’s Must-See TV at this point.

A couple of top prospects performed well this week in the Dodgers farm system, but the teams aren’t performing that well — especially the Great Lakes Loons. The squad can’t hit, leading to a system-low 14 wins.

—–

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (3-3)

Player Of The Week

Rusty Ryal – 1B

.421/.450/.474/.924, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Kind of a slow week for Albuquerque hitters, as Ryal hit a lot of singles and not much else. He’s filling in for Scott Van Slyke while he’s busy hitting in the majors.

Pitcher Of The Week

Angel Castro – RHP

13 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 11 K

Castro, 30, isn’t a prospect, but he had a solid week on the hill for the Isotopes. He’s provided some stability for a continuously changing rotation.

—–

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (1-5)

Player Of The Week

Yasiel Puig – OF

.360/.448/.680/1.128, 1 HR, 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBI, 4 R, 4 SB, 3 BB, 5 K

Puig was mired in a slump before he returned from the disabled list, but he posted a solid week. Puig has a nice .314/.385/.579 triple-slash on the season, and is showing why he was given the largest international contract ever.

Pitcher Of The Week

Rob Rasmussen – LHP

6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Rasmussen is proving to be quite the useful mammal, backing up Zach Lee in the Lookouts’ rotation (not literally). He has a 2.79 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and an impressive 8.8 K/9 in his first stint in the Southern League.

—–

High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-3)

Player Of The Week

Ryan Mount – 3B

.476/.500/.810/1.310, 2 HR, 1 2B, 7 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K

Mount continued his hot play with another fantastic week to lead the Quakes. He’s also been moved into the No. 3 spot in the lineup, which should lead to further team success as long he’s hitting well.

Pitcher Of The Week

Garrett Gould – RHP

6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K

Gould had another good start for the Quakes this week. He began the season miserably but has seemingly gotten on track. He has a 1.42 ERA in his last three starts.

—–

Low-A Great Lakes Loons (1-6)

Player Of The Week

Kevin Taylor – 2B

.318/.400/.545/.945, 1 HR, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 6 K

Offense is scarce in Great Lakes, but Taylor has done nothing but hit since joining the club. He has a solid triple slash of .333/.412/.467 in his first 12 games.

Pitcher Of The Week

Carlos Frias – RHP

7 2/3 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Frias has helped to pick-up the slack left by some of the young starters (Zachary Bird, Jonathan Martinez, Miguel Sulbaran). The Great Lakes rotation seems to be shaping up, now the team just needs to start hitting.

Dodgers reliever Scott Elbert pitched a scoreless sixth inning with the Quakes, allowing one hit and walking one. The left-hander has tossed three scoreless innings since beginning his rehab assignment on Friday. He’s working his way back from a pair of elbow operations during the winter.

Elbert started and threw 13 pitches after already making three relief appearances with Class A Rancho Cucamonga. He allowed a single and RBI double to the first two batters he faced, then retired the next three hitters.

Elbert could be back to help the bullpen later this week, as his velocity his risen in recent appearances.

At the start of the season, he seemed like a luxury due to J.P. Howell and Paco Rodriguez, but now the bullpen could desperately use another quality arm.

In a corresponding move, Josh Becketthit the 15-day DL following speculation that he was hurt and would need time to heal.

The Los Angeles Dodgers seemed to have a hard time getting the story straight after Monday’s 6-2 loss to the Washington Nationals. Josh Beckett, who is 0-5 with a 5.19 ERA, left the game after just three innings in part, manager Don Mattingly said, because he slightly strained a groin muscle covering first base on an Adam LaRoche groundout.

Beckett is also battling an assortment of minor injuries, Mattingly said. But what?

“He’s had some little stuff going on in different areas, and I think it was bothering him tonight,” Mattingly said.

Little stuff, such as?

“We had known some little stuff was going on,” Mattingly said.

I don’t know how they treat things here,” he [Beckett] said.

He also said, “I’m healthy enough to pitch,” which might be a regrettable phrase if the Dodgers, indeed, put Beckett on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday. The timing would be opportune as it appears Zack Greinke will come off the DL to pitch against Washington Wednesday night. Mattingly wouldn’t confirm that Greinke will pitch Wednesday, but said they’ve settled on a starter.

Either that’s a phantom DL or there’s a scary disconnect between the player and the training staff here.

Dodgers left-hander Ted Lilly declared himself healthy after going five innings during a Minor League rehab start with Class A Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday night.

Lilly allowed four runs on five hits, striking out three against three walks as the Quakes lost to the San Jose Giants, 4-3.

The veteran said he felt no discomfort from a strained right rib cage that forced him to the disabled list May 3. He was in the Dodgers’ clubhouse after their 3-1 win over the Nationals and will travel with the club to Atlanta for a three-game series that begins Friday.

Lilly said he does not expect to make another start in the Minors, though he said he hasn’t spoken to management about the next step in his rehab.

X-rays were negative on the lower left leg of Dodgers outfielder Scott Van Slyke, who exited Sunday’s 5-2 loss against the Braves after he fouled consecutive pitches off his leg in a seventh-inning at-bat.

Van Slyke said there was no fracture, although it was “pretty sore” having fouled the pitches “an inch apart on the same ligament.”

He said he’ll be able to return to action immediately, as long as he can tolerate the discomfort.

“I should be good,” he said.

Last thing the team needed was the only bench bat with pop going down.

The 18th pick in last year’s draft, Corey Seager will take a break from his full-season debut as he rehabs a hamstring injury. He hit .267/.333/.410 with three homers in 29 games for low Class A Great Lakes, giving him a .743 OPS that is comfortably above the Midwest League average.

While Seager hasn’t been tearing it up like he did last year, he’s been better than league average and is still extremely young for pro ball.

Pitching was the story for the Dodgers‘ farm system this week, but one positional prospect stood out and was recognized for his great offensive performance.

It’s nice to see youngsters take advantage of their given opportunities.

—–

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (1-6)

Player Of The Week

Matt Angle – OF

.333/.448/.583/1.031, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 5 R, 2 SB, 4 BB, 9 K

Angle, who somehow remained on the 40-man roster for the entire 2012 season, is having a decent 2013 so far. He’s getting consistent playing time with the injury to Alex Castellanos. He, along with others, are going to have to pickup the slack with Tim Federowicz and Scott Van Slyke playing in LA these days.

Pitcher Of The Week

Kelvin De La Cruz – LHP

4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

De La Cruz was an under-the-radar minor-league signing this winter, and so far, he’s pitching well. He’s getting a lot of strikeouts (13.1 K/9) and proving to be a valuable reliever out of the Isotopes’ bullpen.

—–

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (4-2)

Player Of The Week

Joc Pederson – OF

.619/.692/.810/1.502, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 3 SB, 5 BB, 2 K

Pederson was somehow not named Southern League Player Of The Week, but he continues to do nothing but hit for Chattanooga. He’s making all kinds of noise and is quickly becoming a more realistic option to be recalled than Yasiel Puig.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ross Stripling – RHP

6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

Not bad for a Double-A debut. The 23-year-old was promoted to Chattanooga and was thoroughly impressive. Stripling is proving to be a fast mover and could be some time in LA next year.

—–

High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-4)

Player Of The Week

Ryan Mount – 3B

.556/.571/1.074/1.645, 3 HR, 3 2B, 1 3B, 12 RBI, 6 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Mount was named the California League Player Of The Week with an outstanding performance that included a 5-for-5 game. The nearly 27-year-old is this year’s version of C.J. Retherford. Honorable mention goes to Darnell Sweeney, who hit for the cycle in a game this week.

Pitcher Of The Week

Duke Von Schamann – RHP

6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

The Quakes’ starter had another good week and is adjusting to the Cal League rather nicely. With Stripling having been promoted to Double-A, Von Schamann is the most consistent starting pitcher the Quakes have remaining.

—–

Low-A Great Lakes Loons (1-5)

Player Of The Week

Kevin Taylor – 2B

.348/.423/.391/.814, 1 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K

Taylor got his first action of the season this week and performed well. Too bad he’s about the only Loon who hit even remotely well. Corey Seager is on the disabled list and the “veteran” hitters aren’t hitting right now.

Pitcher Of The Week

Angel Sanchez – RHP

13 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 16 K

It’s disappointing to see Sanchez repeating Low-A, especially at the age of 23, but it’s nice to see he’s pitching well thus far. It’ll be interesting to see if he can continue it, get a call-up to High-A, and try to do better this time around.

There were some eye-popping performances in the Dodgers minor-league system the last couple weeks, and I got to see three of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes games in person, which was awesome.

There are some guys below folks should keep eyes on this season, as they could establish themselves as legitimate prospects with solid performances in 2013.

—–

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (4-2 & 5-2)

Player Of The Week – 4/22

Scott Van Slyke – 1B

.480/.536/.800/1.336, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 2B, 7 R, 1 SB, 3 BB, 4 K

Van Slyke is absolutely mashing the ball right now. Maybe he has a chip on his shoulder from being designated for assignment in the winter, maybe it’s his improved physique. Whatever it is, he’s doing everything right so far in Triple-A.

Player Of The Week – 4/29

Tim Federowicz – C

.571/.583/1.238/1.821, 3 HR, 3 2B, 1 3B, 8 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB, 4 K

Federowicz was the Pacific Coast League Player Of The Week and posted some ridiculous numbers. Those numbers, coupled with Ramon Hernandez’s struggles, helped Federowicz get recalled to the Dodgers on May 8.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/22

Chris Withrow – RHP

2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 SV

Withrow, a failed starter, is having some success with the Isotopes. While he’s still walking too many hitters (6.4 BB/9), he’s getting strikeouts (12.1 K/9). He’s on the 40-man roster and could get the call if the Dodger bullpen continues to falter.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/29

Steven Ames – RHP

4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SV

Ames has been decent but unspectacular this season. His strikeout rate is way down (10.2 last season, 5.2 this season) and he’s giving up a lot of hits (15 in 12 innings), but he did spend some time on the disabled list. He’s also on the 40-man roster, so a call-up could be in his future.

—–

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (2-3 & 1-5)

Player Of The Week – 4/22

Blake Smith – OF

.300/.364/.450/.814, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K

Smith has struggled a bit this season in his second go-round in the Southern League. He’s played a lot of left field because of Yasiel Puig‘s presence and prototypical right-field profile.

Player Of The Week – 4/29

Joc Pederson – OF

.300/.323/.533/.856, 2 HR, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K

Pederson is enjoying a fantastic start to his 2013 in the Southern League. There’s some chatter he could be the outfielder the Dodgers recall ahead of Puig, should the situation present itself. I wouldn’t be opposed to that.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/22

Rob Rasmussen – LHP

5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K

Rasmussen was acquired for John Ely this winter and has done a nice job at the back of the Lookouts’ rotation. He’s not going to overpower hitters, but he’ll get his fair share of outs.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/29

Rob Rasmussen – LHP

12 1/3 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 10 K

Rasmussen was the pitching star for the Lookouts. He’s small in stature, but he’s off to a great start in the Southern League so far. He’s a player to keep an eye on going forward, especially with Chris Reed and Andres Santiago struggling a little.

—–

High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-3 & 4-2)

Player Of The Week – 4/22

Jonathan Garcia – RF

.400/.429/.700/1.129, 1 HR, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R, 1 SB, 0 BB, 4 K

Garcia is repeating the California League after a dreadful 2012. So far, he’s handling the league pretty well. He’s spent a lot of time as the team’s No. 3 hitter, but he was recently moved out of that spot. He has some decent raw power, but he swings and misses too much and he’ll need to improve that this season.

Player Of The Week – 4/29

Darnell Sweeney – SS

.333/.379/.556/.935, 2 2B, 2 3B, 2 RBI, 4 R, 3 SB, 2 BB, 7 K

Sweeney has been a nice surprise since being drafted in the 13th round last year. He’s now hitting third in the Quakes’ lineup after hitting leadoff most of the season. His fielding leaves a lot to be desired, though.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/22

Duke Von Schamann – RHP

7 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

The 2012 15th-rounder is throwing well so far this season. He’s an inning-eating starter a Class-A team desperately needs. And with Ross Stripling being promoted, Von Schamann is the ace of the staff.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/29

Garrett Gould – RHP

6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K

Gould was named California League Player Of The Week, although this honor could have gone to Jarret Martin (6 IP, 0 ER, 8 K). I actually saw Martin’s start in person, but it’s hard to argue against Gould’s performance.

—–

Low-A Great Lakes Loons (3-4 & 1-6)

Player Of The Week – 4/22

Corey Seager – SS

.350/.350/.550/.900, 2 3B, 1 RBI, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K

Seager did most of his damage in a Loons’ doubleheader sweep on April 21, but he did collect seven hits this week. He’s off to a slow start (.236/.323/.364/.687), but he’s a few days shy of his 19th birthday. This is a tough, aggressive assignment for a teenager, and he’ll be just fine going forward.

Player Of The Week – 4/29

Tyler Ogle – C/DH

.269/.345/.423/.768, 1 HR, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K

There wasn’t much offense in Great Lakes, but Ogle one of the most veteran hitters the Loons have, and he had a decent week. He’s been splitting time with Eric Smith at catcher and DH.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/22

Lindsey Caughel – RHP

6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Caughel has been the most consistent Loons’ pitcher this season. He was recently promoted to Rancho Cucamonga, and it’d be a surprise if he were to pitch in Midland again this season.

Pitcher Of The Week – 4/29

Carlos Frias – RHP

6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K

Frias led the Loons pitching staff and is making his first appearance with Great Lakes in his career. He’s pitched at Ogden and, surprisingly, Rancho Cucamonga. So far, he’s having success in the Midwest League.

Pitching was the story for the Dodgers farm system this week, but one positional prospect stood out and was recognized for his great offensive performance.

It’s nice to see youngsters take advantage of their given opportunities.

—–

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (2-4)

Player Of The Week

Alex Castellanos – OF

.417/.417/.667/1.084, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, 2 SB, 0 BB, 4 K

Castellanos and Scott Van Slyke have quite the nice 3-4 combination going in Albuquerque. The outfielder, who should be a part-time player in Los Angeles, is hitting well again in Triple-A. He’s been great down there since being acquired by the Dodgers.

Pitcher Of The Week

Matt Magill – RHP

6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K

Magill made the best start of his young Triple-A career by allowing just six baserunners in as many innings. He has the ability to succeed in the rarefied air, but does he have the ability to survive in LA? His most recent start (April 22) was limited because the Dodgers wanted to keep the option of recalling him after Chad Billingsley‘s season ended on April 23.

—–

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (4-3)

Player Of The Week

Joc Pederson – OF

.387/.457/.774/1.231, 2 HR, 2 2B, 2 3B, 4 RBI, 5 SB, 4 BB, 5 K

Also the Southern League Player Of The Week, Pederson is off to a great start in AA. He’s atop or near the top of a lot of offensive categories in the league, and he’s doing it as the third-youngest player. Impressive, to say the least.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

12 IP, 11 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K

This makes me extremely happy. Lee is still my No. 1 prospect, and he’s making me look good so far (and that’s a hard thing to do). He has a sparkling 1.17 ERA and a 2.85 FIP, so it’s not like he’s getting particularly lucky.

—–

High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-4)

Player Of The Week

Scott Schebler – OF

.462/.500/.885/1.385, 1 HR, 2 2B, 3 3B, 8 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB, 2 BB, 7 K

The Quakes have some interesting, if unspectacular, offensive prospects, including Schebler. He’s definitely holding his own in left field so far and should probably move up in the lineup before too long. I’d still like to see him walk some more, though.

Pitcher Of The Week

Michael Thomas – LHP

4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 SV

The Quakes’ closer is having a pretty good season so far, even if he is a bit old for the California League. If he were a couple years younger, he’d be a legitimate prospect. At this point, he could make some noise by pitching well, and, since he’s left-handed, could have some sort of future in the majors.

—–

Low-A Great Lakes Loons (3-3)

Player Of The Week

Corey Seager – SS

.350/.350/.550/.900, 2 3B, 1 RBI, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K

Seager did most of his damage in a Loons doubleheader sweep on April 21, but he did collect seven hits this week. He’s off to a slow start (.236/.323/.364/.697), but he’s a few days shy of his 19th birthday. This is a tough, aggressive assignment for a teenager, and he’ll be just fine going forward.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jharel Cotton – RHP

7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

There were three candidates this week, including Ralston Cash and Lindsey Caughel. However, Cotton was the best of the trio. Cotton threw a seven-inning shutout in one of the Loons doubleheader games this week, and he rebounded well after a poor first start (with a relief appearance mixed in).

Kind of a quiet week on the farm for the Dodgers affiliates. The Loons went 4-1, but the other three affiliates didn’t play .500 ball.

The pitching seemed to lack this week more than the offense, but there have been some impressive early-season performances thus far.

—–

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (2-5)

Player Of The Week

Scott Van Slyke – 1B

.435/.517/.957/1.474, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 2B, 7 R, 5 BB, 4 K

Van Slyke is on fire to start the season. Not only is he hitting the cover off the ball, he’s walking, too. He’s slimmed down and it appears to be helping him. He’s a late-bloomer for sure, but this is ridiculous — in a good way.

Pitcher Of The Week

Matt Magill – RHP

5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K

Magill’s first start wasn’t great, but his second start was much better. He has the skill set to pitch in the Pacific Coast League, especially with his ability to get the strikeout. It’ll be interesting to see how Magill fares in the extreme hitter’s league this season.

—–

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (2-4)

Player Of The Week

Yasiel Puig – OF

.304/.333/.609/.942, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 BB, 5 K

Puig wasn’t as good as last week, but he still was able to smack four extra-base hits while trying to help the mediocre-thus-far Lookouts’ offense. Joc Pederson was a close second.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB (Intentional), 7 K

Lee pitched like the Dodgers’ best pitching prospect this week, as he spun a gem against the Tennessee Smokies. He’s off to a fast start this season, and could re-establish his prospect status (even though he didn’t do a whole lot to hurt it in 2012) with a strong performance in Double-A.

—–

High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-4)

Player Of The Week

Scott Wingo – 2B

.400/.571/.467/1.038, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 5 R, 4 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP

Wingo is an on-base machine, or at least he was this week. He gets pushed to the bottom of the lineup thanks to Darnell Sweeney and Noel Cuevas, but it’s nice to have that on-base ability to turn the lineup over.

Pitcher Of The Week

Pedro Baez – RHP

2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Kind of a rough week for Quakes’ pitching. Ross Stripling pitched relatively well, but still gave up three runs in five innings. Baez is not the Quakes’ closer right now, but he could be by mid-season, due to either promotions or performance.

—–

Low-A Great Lakes Loons (4-1)

Player Of The Week

Paul Hoenecke – 3B

.476/.500/1.262/1.762, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 2B, 7 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Hoenecke has been the Loons’ best hitter by far. He’s providing the middle-of-the-order presence Great Lakes’ terrible offense needs. Corey Seager has struggled (statistically), and the team isn’t getting much offense from anyone else.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ralston Cash – RHP

6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

Despite giving up six runs in his first start, none of them were earned. That explains the 0.93 ERA and 4.09 FIP this season, but still, he’s striking batters out (15 in 9 2/3 innings). This is a big year for the former second-rounder.

The Dodgers had a bunch of intriguing minor-leaguers posting solid numbers in the season’s first week.

Note: Since the minor-league season started on Thursday, the numbers you see here — especially for the hitters — will not be the norm all year long.

—–

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (4-0)

Player Of The Week

Scott Van Slyke – 1B

4 G, .600/.667/.933/1.600, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 2 2B, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K

Van Slyke, on the strength of a 4-for-5, five RBI game, had the best week of any Dodger minor-leaguer. Primarily a first baseman now, the slimmed-down Van Slyke could still have a career in the big leagues, especially if he’s improved upon his slider bat-speed.

Pitcher Of The Week

Shawn Tolleson – RHP

2 G, 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K

With starting pitchers on pitch limits and the Isotopes not having a lot of talent in the rotation, it’s possible for relief pitchers to make this list more often than not. Tolleson, who lost out on a bullpen spot in the majors because of options, is back to Albuquerque for a second stint. Hopefully he doesn’t stay there for too long, because there really isn’t much more he can do in the minors.

—–

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts (1-3)

Player Of The Week

Yasiel Puig – OF

3 G, .500/.583/.800/1.383, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 K

The Spring Training sensation had a solid first week in the Southern League. He hit a home run and drew a couple walks, which is something he didn’t do in March. It appears he’s set to take the league by storm.

Pitcher Of The Week

Onelki Garcia – LHP

1 G, 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 K

There’s a decidedly Cuban feel to the Lookouts with Garcia making his “official” Double-A debut. It wasn’t as good as his appearance in the playoffs last year, but it’s definitely encouraging.

—–

High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-1)

Player Of The Week

Noel Cuevas – OF

4 G, .333/.412/.400/.812, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 SB, 2 BB, 3 K

Cuevas ended up with a game-winning hit one night and, aside from the guys who played just one or two games, had the best week overall. He should be a mainstay in the Quakes’ lineup this season.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ross Stripling – RHP

1 G, 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K

Stripling had a nice High-A debut that included four no-hit innings. The second-year pitcher out of Texas A&M could move quickly if he handles the California League well.

—–

Low-A Great Lakes Loons (1-3)

Player Of The Week

Paul Hoenecke – 3B

4 G, .438/.438/.813/1.251, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 2B, 3 R, 4 K

One of the more “veteran” hitters on the team, Hoenecke held it down for the Loons this week. Four of his seven hits went for extra bases and he’s filling a big need for the team at third base.

Pitcher Of The Week

Lindsey Caughel – RHP

1 G, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 6 K

Caughel, like Hoenecke for the offense, is a veteran pitcher on the staff, meaning he’s a bit old for the league. But his debut was clearly the best of any Loons’ pitcher. He pitched reasonably well last year in Rookie-ball, so it’ll be interesting to see if he can carry it over to full-season ball.

The Dodgerspromoted a number of front office personnel, most notably future GMs (of the Dodgers, I hope) Logan White and De Jon Watson. White will now serve as Vice President Of Scouting, while Watson takes on the role of Vice President Of Player Development.

The following outfielders are, at this point, slated to begin the 2013 season in Albuquerque:

Alex Castellanos: Could play second or third base.Brian Cavazos-Galvez: Left fielder with some experience at first base.Scott Van Slyke: Corner outfielder who the Dodgers don’t view as a 1B anymore (h/t to Jackson).Kyle Russell: Corner outfielder who could fill in at center field in a pinch.Blake Smith: Same as Russell, but better defensively.

Those guys are all but certain to be ‘Topes in 2013. Castellanos and Van Slyke have a chance to be on the Dodgers bench, but I’ll believe that when I see it. Nick Buss, who spent the entire 2012 season in Chattanooga, is another guy, and if things fall his way he could actually be the Isotopes starting center fielder. Of the guys listed above, Buss is the only true center fielder.

Then there are the players who aren’t even members of the Dodgers yet. Perennially, those are the likes of Trent Oeltjen and Matt Angle. Hell, Tony Gywnn Jr. is still under contract and could find himself back in New Mexico as well.

Bottom line is, the Isotopes are going to be jam-packed in the outfield.

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Including all of the guys above doesn’t even take into account players who could be promoted during the season based on performance — mainly, Bobby Coyle, Joc Pederson, and Yasiel Puig.

Coyle was a late-season call-up to Chattanooga and I think he’d have the best chance of playing in Albuquerque in 2013. Pederson is only 20 and should be with the Lookouts for the entire season (save perhaps a playoff call-up, as he was this past season for Chattanooga).

The wild card though is Puig. There’s no telling where he’ll begin, but it won’t be any lower than High-A Rancho Cucamonga. If he makes it to Double-A and flourishes, I could see him don an Isotopes uniform before the conclusion of the 2013 season.

Any of the trio being promoted quickly would make for even more of a mess than it already appears to be.

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Heading into last season, the Dodgers minor-league depth came in the form of right-handed pitchers and outfielders. They’ve already traded away a lot of the RHP depth and now it looks like the OF surplus could be next.

Too much of one position isn’t usually a bad thing, but the concern is that it could stunt the development of a few players, so it’ll be interesting to monitor the situation and see how it plays out.

The Isotopes went up against a team with the best hitter in minor league baseball in Wil Myers. It was, as expected, a slugfest, but the Omaha Stormchasers got the best of the ‘Topes, 3-2.

The Lookouts went up against one of the more stacked teams in the minors in the Jackson Generals. They, like the ‘Topes, were dispatched, 3-1. A couple of bright spots include Onelki Garcia‘s performance and the fact that Joc Pederson got his first taste of Double-A (3-for-11 with a triple).

Fortunately for the minor league system, the Raptors were able to win its first-round series 2-1 and move on to the Pioneer League championship behind some strong pitching and some timely hitting.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (3-5)

Runs Scored: 38
Runs Allowed: 51

Player Of The Week

Elian Herrera – OF/IF

Herrera, who had his share of success in the majors this season, closed out the final week of the minor league regular season with one of his best weeks: 12-for-25 (.480) with two doubles, two triples, five RBI, and three runs scored. He finishes the season with a .341/.381/.520 line in 64 games. Herrera should be on the Dodgers’ bench soon.

Pitcher Of The Week

Stephen Fife – RHP

Fife earned his fourth award of the season by having a nice outing for the Isotopes on Friday: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He finishes the season at 11-7 with a 4.66 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 10.4 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, 2.9 BB/9, and a 2.11 K/BB. He might get recalled if the Dodgers need a starter or a long man.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (5-2)

Runs Scored: 29
Runs Allowed: 17

Player Of The Week

Luis Nunez – 1B/OF

Once again, the Lookouts struggled to score runs this week. Nunez was the best hitter of the bunch, going 6-for-18 (.333) with a home run, two doubles, three RBI, and four runs scored. This was Nunez’s fourth award of the season. He finishes the year at .257/.319/.420.

Pitcher Of The Week

Zach Lee – RHP

Lee didn’t fare too well in the Lookouts’ second playoff game, but he had a great week prior to the postseason: 12 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 12 K. He finishes his 2012 campaign with some solid numbers: 6-6, 4.14 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.76 FIP, 3.63 SIERA, 2.1 BB/9, and a 7.7 K/9. Not bad for a 20-year-old who spent the majority of his time in Double-A (62 IP vs. 55 1/3 IP).

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (3-5)

Runs Scored: 33
Runs Allowed: 60

Player Of The Week

Pedro Baez – 3B

Baez, who was demoted after making the Double-A All-Star team earlier in the season, had his best week of the season. He went 13-for-24 (.542) with two doubles and two runs scored. His arm is great and it might be about time the team gave this light-hitting third baseman a shot on the mound. Baez finishes the season with a .221/.307/.375 triple slash with 11 home runs, 27 doubles, five triples, and 58 RBI.

Pitcher Of The Week

Onelki Garcia – LHP

Garcia made his professional debut and fared quite well: 2 IP, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. It’s a modest outing, but a nice one for a debut. How did he follow that up? With a great showing in the Double-A playoffs (3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K). Not sure where he’s going to begin next season, but I’m hoping it’s Double-A. He could be the Dodgers’ second-best pitching prospect by this time next season.

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Great Lakes Loons (5-3)

Runs Scored: 35
Runs Allowed: 38

Player Of The Week

Jesus Alberto Arredondo – 2B

An early season favorite of mine, Arredondo hasn’t made an appearance on this list since I started this feature. Well, he was able to close out his 2012 campaign with a nice showing: 9-for-20 (.450), two doubles, a triple, three RBI, and three runs scored. Arredondo finishes the season with a .253/.305/.339 triple slash. After the way he began the season, I expected more from him.

Pitcher Of The Week

Joel Lima – RHP

Lima made two of his three starts for the Loons in the season’s final week, and he pitched quite well: 12 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. He threw 28 games for the Loons, but only three in the rotation. He finishes the season with a 4.52 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and a .277 batting average against.

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Ogden Raptors (5-1)

Runs Scored: 53
Runs Allowed: 34

Player Of The Week

Justin Boudreaux – IF

Boudreaux, who struggled mightily in Great Lakes this season, had himself a week for the Raptors. He went 5-for-16 (.313) with a home run, four doubles, seven RBI, and four runs scored. For the season, he hit .195/.292/.305 between Ogden and Great Lakes. I rated him as a top 30 prospect prior to the season. Obviously, I missed badly on this one.

Pitcher Of The Week

Lindsey Caughel – RHP

The Dodgers’ 23rd-round pick, despite being nearly 22 in the Pioneer League, is showing he might have some ability down the road. He had a nice outing in the season’s last week: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K. He followed that up with a great outing in the Pioneer League playoffs. Caughel had a nice debut season between Ogden and Arizona: 5-4, 3.32 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 3.33 FIP, 3.72 SIERA, 1.7 BB/9, and a 6.5 K/9.

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Arizona League Dodgers (1-3)

Runs Scored: 14
Runs Allowed: 24

Player Of The Week

Stefan Jarrin – 2B

It was hard to find an offensive star for the AZL Dodgers this week, so I went with the guy who hit a home run. He went 2-for-7 (.286) with the aforementioned home run, two RBI, and two runs scored. He finishes his second professional season much like he did his first: .209/.305/.363.

Pitcher Of The Week

Ronny Lugo – RHP

Lugo had the best appearance of the week for the pitching staff: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. It was his first and only start of the season. He finishes with an ugly 6.27 ERA, 1.93 WHIP, and a .333 BAA.